A Cold, Dark, and Very Gentle World
by Gardens-Of-Eden
Summary: A very short story about the painting girl, and what she does with the Blood of the Dark Soul pigment.


**First of all; this story is a work of uncanon lore, and is a work of the imagination. However, the story is backed by events that happen in the game, as well as item descriptions.**

 **Thanks for reading! This is a story about the painting girl, the scaled, and serpent-eyed girl in the painting of Ariandel. Like the crossbreed Priscilla, the painting girl has no place in the world, hence why the crossbreeds live in paintings (other than the Darkmoon crossbreed). The Ashen One plays a big role in the story and is the POV (the name is Garden after my DS3 character). Please understand, this is an alternate ending to Dark Souls 3, made up in my head, so it's not going to be canon at all. Lastly, this takes place after the Ringed City Gael fight. Garden has the Blood of the Dark Soul.**

The fight with Slave Knight Gael was terrifying. The way he was consumed by the Dark Soul made me fear the ancient power. Once it was finally over, I took my time walking back to the bonfire next to Filianore's wrinkled corpse. After the walk, I sat at the bonfire, took a few deep breaths, and thought about the Cathedral where the painting girl waited for the pigment.

I opened my eyes to fire. The whole of the painting was ablaze. I thought of the painting girl and began to worry. What had happened to her? What happened here?

The ladder seemed to be in good condition, yet it creaked and deflected under the weight of me, and my steel armor, still stained with the dry blood of the Dark Soul. I had no idea how old the painting of Ariandel was, but it had a strange sense of being ageless.

I wouldn't know.

After a hike up the ladder, I reached the attic of the cathedral. There she was. The crossbreed painting girl, she hides here for some reason, yet she isn't very shy. In Fact the moment she came into my view she was already staring at me with her orange diamond eyes. The scales on her face, like freckles, were shimmering from the fire at my feet.

I took slow steps forward, and her gaze left mine, and trailed down, to the piece of cloth in my hands. She then returned her gaze to mine, and with wide eyes, she spoke, in a most gentle tone.

"My thanks, Ashen One," she then took the Blood of the Dark soul from my steel-clad hands and continued. "With this, I will paint a world. Please tell me thy name. I would name this painting after thee."

She continued to look into my eyes. For the first time, she smiled. It was a crooked smile, but a smile nonetheless. I looked to the blood in her hands and thought about my duty as the Unkindled One. Then thought about the darkness I had walked through. I thought for a moment... my name?

"Garden, milady," I spoke softly, so not to frighten the girl.

"I will paint a world of that name. Twill be a cold, dark, and very gentle place. And one day, it will make someone a goodly home."

Her lips became wider, and her cheeks fattened. She continued to smile as she began to paint. I was curious as to what this all meant, the painting, the Dark Soul, and this girl. Her brush strokes were slow, and she painted with such precision. However, to my surprise… she was just using the Blood of the Dark Soul. The color was a stale black, with specks of deep red, it was not beautiful.

"What is wrong Ashen One? Does the color not please thee," her voice was soft, yet it spoke of worry.

"Of course not milady, the color is as beautiful as the world we stand in now," I cringed at the words I spoke. This world was ablaze.

"Do not worry Ashen One, this world will indeed be consumed by fire. However, destruction makes room for new life. After our retreat into Garden, nothing else about this world will matter," her paint strokes became more rapid, and ecstatic.

"Our retreat? I am sorry milady, I must make a retreat from this painting…"

"I'm afraid you're too late Ashen One, you have stayed too long! The bonfire, down below. It has been destroyed, engulfed in flame. Like the rest of this painting, and it's residence."

My heart sank, I jumped up and made a dash for the ladder. Once the edge became clear, I accepted my fate, the bonfire was no more. In its place was a field of fire, I turned around. The girls painting almost full of the blood. When I made it to the circular window, my jaw dropped. The bridge was gone, and so was the whole area.

"Ashen One, thou mustn't worry thyself," her strokes were slow once more. This time with a white pigment, she painted rough lines around the blood. Like an open door, the darkness was very inviting.

"I must leave milady, how do I do so," my tone was panicked.

I thought about the gear I bought. Perhaps a homeward bone?

Yes!

I reached into my satchel and retrieved a brittle, white bone. I took a knee, and thought of Firelink Shrine, then proceed to crush the brittle bone. I waited a few seconds, then opened my eyes. Fire surrounded me, and still there, the girl beckoned me to her.

"Come Ashen One! We must retreat, before we are consumed, along with this world!"

Fire surrounded me, there was nothing I could do, up the ladder hatch came more fire. A blaze of smoke and flame filled the room, and the window burst at the force, outside was just white, like a blank canvas.

"This is your last chance Ashen One. Take my hand!"

With no time to spare, my arm stretched out towards the girl. My hand touched hers, and with all my strength I pushed off the ground that was cracking below me. Her reach began to retract, and her arm bent. We were being sucked into the darkness of her finished painting.

"Canst thou hear my voice? Ashen One," the girl's voice was bent and echoed across this foreign land.

I thought my eyes were closed, however… they were indeed wide open. The darkness surrounding me was so thick, I could not move. My arms flailed, and my legs kicked. I was floating, in some kind of void. I tried my best to flip myself around, to try and locate the girl. But with the success of turning in the void, came the failure of spotting the girl.

My heart sank, and my skin began to burn. I was so worried about some crossbreed who paints. Why? I called out to the missing girl.

"Milady," my voice echoed for minutes.

The absence of her voice, along with the absence of light made me sick, I felt as if I was going to vomit, but just before I could gag, I was surprised by the sound of a bonfire lighting. Behind me was a lonely bonfire. Next to that, was a lonely girl. It was the painting girl! She seemed to be focusing on the flame.

"Milady, why art thou so cruel! To hide thyself from me,"

Her eyes were bright, she began to smile widely. For the first time, she stood. Just short of my chest she stood, still and calm.

She took my hand and spoke, soft as ever.

"Take my hand Garden. For this world is now ours. Twill be a cold, dark, and very gentle place. For us to call home."

 **Well, that was a fun quick write! I really enjoyed describing everything, and I'm truly looking forward to writing about Dark Souls again! I assure you I will be soon.**

 **Please know; this wasn't really supposed to be a great story or anything, I merely wrote this tiny story to test out how fanfiction's publishing and document management is handled. I do figure: "may as well write a story!" I really appreciate the feedback! Specifically, let me know if I should stick with the old English-ish style of speaking for all of the characters! I will use the name Garden in many more Dark Souls stories, just because I like the unique name. They won't be connected in any way, unless by chapter.**

 **Please give me feedback! I really want to know how this was! I prefer constructive feedback and suggestions for future stories!**

 **Thanks so much! Aufiderzein!**


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